MAKE

In This Issue... Global Hackerspace Cupcake Challenge NEWS FROM THE FUTURE – Biological Computers Encrypt and Decipher Images Rotary Tumbler From Printer Parts Math Monday: Truchet Tiles The Convenient Typer Does One Thing Very Well How-To: Dye Your MacBook In the Maker Shed: 54 Piece Bit Driver Kit Arduino-Powered Robot Balances on a Ball Adorable Mini Printer Has All-Printable Frame Build a Secret Doorway on a Budget

The second annual Global Hackerspace Cupcake Challenge will take place this coming weekend. The goal? To send cupcakes to other hackerspaces and have them arrive in pristine condition. Here are the rules:

* Cupcake must be a standard sized or larger cupcake with frosting and at least one sugar based topper/decoration.
* The cupcake should be home made or in the hackerspace, points to be deducted for store bought cupcakes.
* The package can have dimensions up to 30cm by 30cm by 30cm (1ft by 1ft by 1ft) and weight up to 2kgs (4lbs).
* The package must be sent by a reasonably priced shipping method, days in transit will be considered in the scoring.
* A video must be taken while opening the package and uploaded to Youtube or similar.

[via hackerspaces.org]

NEWS FROM THE FUTURE – Biological Computers Encrypt and Decipher Images via Beyond the Beyond…

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in California and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology have developed a “biological computer” made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. Although DNA has been used for encryption in the past, this is the first experimental demonstration of a molecular cryptosystem of images based on DNA computing.

Instead of using traditional computer hardware, a group led by Professor Ehud Keinan of Scripps Research and the Technion created a computing system using bio-molecules. When suitable software was applied to the biological computer, it could decrypt, separately, fluorescent images of The Scripps Research Institute and Technion logos.

DNA computing, bio-hacking bio-molecules to do image recognition.

Spotted in the MAKE Flickr pool, this homemade jewelry tumbler from user Copper Pete, who built a custom plywood case and packed it with repurposed parts from a dead printer to create what appears to be a pretty nice little machine. I think the drum, itself, is a purpose-made component.

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics

Here is a set of laser-cut Truchet tiles with circular arcs, designed to be rearranged in a frame. The top layer parts with the quarter-circle arcs are glued to the squares of the bottom layer. The rule when assembling the tiles is to match high to high and low to low.

With just these two types of pieces, you can make a variety of patterns ranging from only circular islands to only circular lakes, with many possible landscapes in-between. Because the surface is raised, you can make rubbings with a pencil or crayon to save your favorites to paper.

More:
See all of George Hart’s Math Monday columns

The Convenient Typer is a hacked typewriter that uses 3d printed mechanisms to type a single phrase: “It is as it is.” Created by artist Max Lupo, this self-referential machine uses modern means to re-imagine an antiquated form of technology.

A device such as this could place it as a cousin of The Useless Machine, but there’s an elegance in its own insistence that adds another wrinkle.

[via The Creators Project]

This guy dyed the major case parts of his factory-white MacBook bright orange using Rit fabric dye (and swapped out some other bits with a factory-black model) to create this cool custom color scheme. This method is known in the modding community, but “The Brain” has improved on its speed and consistency for glossy parts by adding a preparatory sanding step. [via Hack a Day]

More:

• Dyeing Fabjects With Rit
• How-To: Color PCBs With Fabric Dye
• How-To: Dye Computer Parts
• Flashback: Disappearing Apple

I hate security screws with a passion. When I become president I’m going to push to make them illegal. But in the meantime, what happens if you come across some that need to be dealt with? You get this 54 Piece Bit Driver Kit from the Maker Shed and get to work! The kit includes plenty of security bits to ensure you can open almost anything. The magnetized driver features a metal shaft, swivel top, rubberized grip, and a 60mm extension. It also includes a flexible 130 mm extension for those hard to reach areas. The entire kit comes packaged in a handy-dandy reusable plastic case.

Includes the following bit types:

• Slot sizes 1, 1.3, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 mm
• Philips sizes #000, #00, #0, #1 (x2), #2
• Spanner sizes 2, 2.2, 2.6, 3 mm
• Torx sizes T3, T4 (x2), T5, T6 (x2), T7, T8, T9, T10, T15, T20
• Hex sizes 0.7, 0.9, 1.3, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6 mm
• Posidrive sizes #0, #1, #2
• Star sizes 2, 3 mm
• Square sizes #0, #1, #2
• Triangle size 3 mm
• Tri-wing sizes #0, #1
• Drop size 1 mm

We are Jeroen Waning, Brian Kosoris, Bahati Gitego, and Yuriy Psarev, and this is our senior design project here at Southern Polytechnic State University… (A) Ball-Bot is a robot (fully autonomous) that balances on a ball. In our case, it was a vertical aluminum structure approximately 3′ tall and balanced on a basketball. Our system used four motors independently controlling four omni-directional wheels that rolled the ball in the direction of the tilt angle. The tilt angle refers to the angle of the superstructure (aluminum frame) that sits atop the basketball. We used an Arduino MEGA 2560 and an on-board MicroITX computer for the brains of the whole system. An IDG500 gyroscope and ADXL345 accelerometer were used to take inertial measurements and determine the three-dimensional orientation of the robot in real time. An inverted spherical pendulum best describes the kinematics of the system.

Spotted in the MAKE Flickr Pool, John Biehler’s excellent photo of a tiny prototype fused-filament 3D printer designed and built by Fraser Valley RepRap User Group member “Brad,” aka Sublime. Brad’s posted a detailed description on one of his personal blogs and on the RepRap wiki, but hasn’t published the physibles yet. The “vitamins” ( non-printable parts) consist of four stepper motors, eleven skate bearings, ten linear bearings, a couple pieces of smooth and threaded rod, assembly screws, and the standard RepRap electronics. The build volume is just a bit over one cubic decimeter. He calls it “Tantillus.”

With very little carpentry experience and less than $200, YouTube user luvguns61 created this secret door and safe room in his condo. The door is disguised as a recessed shelf and rolls on the floor with casters, which lets him use less expensive hinges. It even features a two-way mirror so that a person hiding inside can see outside without being seen. [via Lifehacker]

More:

• The Secrets of Secret Doors
• Secret knock-detecting workshop door
• Make: Projects – Doortop Stash
• Plywood Table is All Secret Compartment
• Victorian House Has Secret Garage, Might Actually Be Robot in Disguise